Five Hours
by MaRsKiLLeRs
Summary: Hermione and Draco lead different lives. What happens when they meet on a plane, reliving some of their past emotions? Both have changed, but the question is: How much? DMHG! This is my first oneshot! RxR...


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, J.K. Rowling does.**

**Five Hours**

**Oneshot**

Hermione was sitting on the large seats in Business Class, looking out of the window as the plane was about to take off.

5 hours, then she would be with him again.

He had been brought to France after the final battle, for special treatment of his wounds and injuries.

Taking her earphones, she turned on the music of her iPod. She sighed and started staring into nowhere.

When had she started doubting her relationship with Ron?

"_Hermione, I have to talk to you"_

That had been in their seventh year at Hogwarts. The day of his confession, so it might be called.

She had been sitting in the library, trying to solve a problem. A mystery.

But not one of her usual problems.

Draco Malfoy.

Why hadn't she stopped thinking about him for the whole summer?

She still hadn't been able to get used to the gap he had left behind, what ever that meant.

Hadn't he always been the one who had insulted her the most, picked her out of a crowd just to make fun of her, her family, her blood?

"_Not now, Ronald, can't you see that I am busy?"_

"_But it's important…" he said in a quiet voice._

_She looked up from the book she had been staring at for the past hour, without anyone noticing that she hadn't been studying._

_He would have._

_Hermione shook her head to get rid of that disturbing thought._

"_Where's Harry?"_

"_Outside… With Ginny…"_

_A small smile curved the young girl's lips. It seemed that those two had worked out just fine._

_She sighed. If only it was that easy for her…_

_Ron took a seat next to her, then grabbed her hand._

_Hermione's eyes widened._

"_Please Hermione, just listen to me. I know I haven't been perfect in the past years, and I really regret everything I've done to you. But please. Give me a chance?"_

_His voice had gotten quieter by the end. The last request hadn't sounded like one at all. It was more like a question, unsure._

_Just like Ron often was. _

_Did she really want someone like that? _

_But when she looked at his face, she knew that she just _couldn't _say no._

_He needed someone to take care of him. It seemed like she was supposed to do that._

_And she knew, she had to find somebody as well. Thinking of a certain Slytherin was just plain ridiculous._

_Slowly, she bent her face towards him, and it was Ron's turn to widen his eyes. Her lips brushed gently against his, a chaste kiss._

_But he seemed content with that ad gave her a hug._

"_I love you, Hermione. I always have."_

"_I love you too, Ron" As a brother._

_He smiled, then they stood up and left the library to go for a walk together._

The young witch was torn from her memories as she heard voices next to her. Still in her thoughts, the last thing was still clear in her mind.

_As a brother. _Ron was nothing more than that to her, was he? Had never been anything else.

But she had learned to live with him, and love had eventually developed.

A bit of it at least.

That was in a human's nature. Try to fit the circumstances. And Ron was happy.

Still looking out, she saw from the corner of the eye that someone had sat down next to her.

She didn't want to look at that person more clearly, but following a sudden impulse, she turned her head towards him. The stranger had done the same.

Her eyes grew wide in surprise, and she quickly covered her lips so that the gasp that was about to escape them wasn't heard.

"Now what do we have here? Mudblood Granger."

The surprise wasn't shown as clearly on Malfoy's face as on Hermione's, but it was mirrored in his eyes.

Hurt immediately spread through her features, and she turned around abruptly, facing the window again.

Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as she desperately tried to find a tissue in her handbag.

A pale hand reached over, offering her an embroidered handkerchief with the initials in the corner. D.M.

She just looked at it for a moment, wondering what that was supposed to mean all of a sudden.

"Just take it already. Please" he added as she didn't make a move.

She looked up. He was biting his lower lip, but not directly facing her.

Still, his voice was soft.

She slowly took it, wiping away the tears that had already started staining her cheeks. There was a faint smell of cologne.

So typically Draco.

'_Malfoy'_ she corrected herself.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

Handing it back to him, her hand brushed his. It was nice and warm.

Strangely, hers was cold.

He folded it together and put it in his jacket. He was wearing muggle clothes.

She frowned, then took out her earphones. "What are you doing on a plane, Malfoy?"

"Right, that's what these things are called. I forgot." He grinned slightly, but there was nothing smug in his expression.

She looked at him questioningly as he didn't answer.

He looked thoughtful.

"McGonagall sent me." He said suddenly. "I switched sides."

Hermione wasn't surprised, even though she knew she was supposed to be. But she had always known that he was more than just evil.

It was his turn to scrutinize her face.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" he asked as she remained silent.

She pursed her lips, thinking.

Malfoy's jaw clenched, his eyes burning with anger.

"Why don't you just say what you think, you…" He restrained himself from another insult.

"Weren't you always like that, telling everyone what you thought?"

But he knew he was wrong. She had kept so many secrets during that time, secrets he had always longed to uncover. Just for the sake of it, of course…

"You don't believe me, do you? Who can trust a traitor? That's what you're thinking, isn't it?"

"I believe you"

Those simple words, coming from her, stopped him suddenly.

Disbelief was everything he felt at the moment. But when he looked at her, he knew that she meant it.

She really was the first person who meant it.

The pressure in his shoulders loosened, like a weight that was suddenly lifted from his shoulders.

He knew that anyone else would have cried. Because of relief.

But that was simply something he didn't do anymore. He had had enough time doing that while waiting for the Order to accept him.

Or reject him.

And even though they had taken him in, they still didn't trust him. That's why he couldn't show any weakness anymore.

"Are you okay?" her voice came through the fog of his thoughts.

"Yes. I'm fine."

A stewardess came with a trolly, asking them if they wanted anything to drink and what they would like to eat.

Draco looked puzzled. He had no idea what all those things were.

"We'll have two cokes, thank you very much, and the pasta with chicken." The witch sitting next to him quickly said.

Hermione smiled politely as the stewardess handed both of them what she had requested.

She really was pretty, her features soft, her lips full and her body slender. She smiled at Draco, who winked at her in return.

Hermione just decided to ignore them and look out of the window.

"What an idiotic smile" he commented after the woman had left.

Hermione frowned and faced him. She really didn't know what to think of the man sitting next to her.

But it seemed that he was honest, and she couldn't help but smile and shake her head.

She couldn't blame the stewardess though. Draco was everything but unattractive in his black shirt that showed his well-built chest, and his jeans. Muggle clothes.

She started giggling.

"What?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Nothing…"

"Oh, come on! This is not funny at all."

"For me it is"

"Great that you're enjoying yourself."

But she knew that he was as well. He was amused anyhow, and this was the first time she saw him in that mood.

She took a sip from her coke, and he did the same.

His face was immediately contorted into a grimace.

"What the hell is that? Are you trying to poison me or what?"

"What do you expect, pumpkin juice?" she said, imitating the voice of Mrs Pomfrey.

That had been in their second year at Hogwarts, and Malfoy had been there as well. **(A/N: This part was in the movie, so please don't blame me… I just remembered it while writing and I think that it does fit in quite well)**

They burst out laughing.

"God, Granger" he said after regaining his breath, smiling.

Nothing more, but these words provoked a feeling in her that she couldn't explain.

Instead, she took her fork and started messing up her pasta. She suddenly didn't feel like eating. This wasn't right.

"Are you okay?" It was his turn to ask.

She just nodded and left her fork lying on the plate. The smell was starting to make her sick.

"So is that how muggles eat?" he joked, trying to lighten up the mood that had suddenly changed.

She just leaned back on her seat, pushing away the tray.

"Honestly, you should eat. You look pale…"

She bit her full lower lip.

"I would like to sleep for a bit" she just said, then started putting the earphones of her iPod in her ears.

"Don't do this to me. Please."

He reached out with his hand to take hold of hers, stopping it in mid-air.

She would have, no, should have pulled hers away, but she simply couldn't. It felt so right.

His hands were warm and gentle. Soft. So unlike Ron's…

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to put that feeling inside of her and to never ever forget it. Then, she slowly, reluctantly pulled away.

A great sense of loss filled her as her hand wasn't touching his anymore, her whole body was screaming for her to take it back.

But now that she had done it, she just couldn't bring herself to reach out.

He was so close.

And yet so far away. Further than ever.

He merely shrugged and looked away.

That was too much for her. She stood up to go to the bathroom.

"Excuse me" she muttered.

He, following what he had always learned at home, stood up to make place.

She didn't look at him as she hurriedly walked towards the toilets.

Tears had started running down her cheeks again, but she didn't wipe them away until she was alone, locked in.

She stood there in the tight room, her arms around herself, sobbing.

Regaining control over herself, she splashed some water on her face and tried to smile, looking at her reflection.

As she walked back to her seat, she found Malfoy deep in conversation with the stewardess from before.

He flashed her a brilliant smile and she blushed slightly, giggling like a little girl.

As he saw her coming, he stood up again, but she would have preferred that he hadn't as she saw how his body was against the stewardess' for a moment before he sat down again.

The other woman left after a moment, and Hermione, who hadn't noticed how hard she had been biting her lip, was surprised to taste blood.

Draco, who had closed his eyes for a few moments to get rid of the feeling of being disgusted of himself, shot the woman next to him a look.

She was looking out of the window, a forlorn look on her face.

His attention was directed towards her lips as he noticed a single drop of blood on them. The urge to kiss it away was unbelievably strong, and for a moment almost impossible to fight.

Was that really the only way?

He had always have to struggle, back in Hogwarts, not to try and get closer to her. She was so full of secrets, hidden depths.

So he had had to hurt her. In return, she hurt him. Was it for the same reason?

He shook his head, remembering everything he had done to her.

She was still proud and strong.

He didn't know if she was happy with her life. He didn't want to, out of fear of the answer.

Of course she was happy. She was who she was.

Not like him.

And yet, when he looked at her, he wasn't so sure. Was she really?

She had fallen asleep, he forehead against the window, the sun from the outside tracing the shape of her adorable nose.

Her hand hung loosely on the armrest.

Gently, he reached out, his hand enclosing hers.

They were warmer than before, but still cold. She seemed so fragile.

A smile, true in itself, slowly spread on her lips. She must think that he was someone else. That was good enough for him, as long as he could her close.

See her happy.

But it was his name that escaped her lips.

Not his second name either.

"Draco."

Nothing more, but it was enough to make him feel whole. He hadn't felt like that since…since ever.

They spent the rest of the flight, hands entwined, until the plane landed, thrusting them back into their own worlds.

Hermione had awoken a bit ago, but her hand stayed where it was, it belonged. In his.

When they finally stood still, they both got up, him getting her and his luggage.

Neither of them smiled.

They got out, the air filling the space between them feeling endlessly cold. A black car with darkened windows was waiting outside, along with the bus that was bringing everyone else to the airport.

Draco turned around to her, his smile almost apologetic.

She wasn't sure what he wanted to apologise for. But she felt sorry too.

With a last look at her pretty face, he turned around and got into the car. It quietly drove away.

She stood there for a second before being urged forward by the people behind her.

They wanted to get in. To get on. With their lives.

She had to as well.

And she had to face it. Different worlds couldn't live together. They would only collide.

Would she see him again someday?

**--------------------**

**Hope you liked it!**

**Please review and tell me what you think :-)**

**And by the way, if you like Gakuen Alice, please go and read my other story. It's still in progress.**

**Thanks for reading! Hehe guess how long it took me for writing this...**


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